


Slipping Through My Fingers

by until_next_time_sweetie



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 11:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1004778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/until_next_time_sweetie/pseuds/until_next_time_sweetie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex watches Salome grow up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slipping Through My Fingers

**Author's Note:**

> Just a cute little idea I got while watching Mamma Mia one day. Story title and lyrics by ABBA.

_Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning_   
_Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile_   
_I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness_   
_And I have to sit down for awhile_

Alex had woken Salome to get ready for her first day of Kindergarten. Her daughter was surprisingly excited, unlike most children who would whine about being roused so early in the morning. She rushed through getting dressed and eating the breakfast Alex fixed for her. 

"Slow down, darling. I don't want you to choke."

"I'm fine, mum." Salome mumbled around a mouthful of eggs.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, either. Didn't I raise you with manners?"

"Of course you did." She said, waiting until she swallowed this time. 

Alex smiled as she watched her daughter, sipping her tea. She couldn't believe she was five already and preparing for her first day of school. Where had the time gone? Her smile faded a little as she thought of all the moments she'd missed because she was away filming. It was the only time she'd ever regretted becoming an actress. Her thoughts were interrupted by clattering when Salome put her plate in the sink.

"Thank you, sweetie."

"You're welcome, mummy." She smiled brightly at her mother, and Alex felt love swell in her heart. She then ran to the living room to grab her backpack, slipping her arms through the straps.

"You don't need to leave for another ten minutes. You must be really anxious to get to school - can't wait to get away from me, huh?"

"No. If I could, I'd want to stay with you forever and ever." She walked over and hugged her mother's legs tightly.

"I wish you could." Alex replied as she knelt down to gather her daughter in her arms, placing a kiss to her cheek.

She held her for another six minutes, rocking her gently and blinking back the tears that were beginning to flood her eyes. Standing, she took the little hand that was being held up to her, and walked out of the house to get in the car. They were both silent on the way to the school. Looking into the rearview mirror, Alex saw Salome swinging her legs excitedly, and she couldn't help but smile. Pulling up in front of the building, she moved to get out to help her with her car seat.

"I can do it, mummy." Salome assured her, pressing the button on the buckle to release the straps from around her. 

Alex got out of the car then, walking around to open the door for her daughter, helping her onto the curb. She hugged the child tightly, never wanting to let her go, and letting the tears fall freely this time.

"Would you like me to walk in with you?" She sniffled.

"If I let you, will you promise not to cry anymore?"

Alex let out a sobbing laugh, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Yes, I promise." Salome held her mother's hand as they walked into the school and stopped outside her classroom.

"Now, you be a good girl and listen to your teacher. I'll be back at 3:30 to pick you up." She lifted her up for one last goodbye hug. "I'll miss you." She said, her voice beginning to crack with emotion.

"Mummy, you promised you wouldn't cry!"

"I know, I'm sorry. When you're a mother someday, you'll understand." 

She gave her a kiss, then put her down, her daughter's hand slipping from hers as she walked into the room. Alex returned to her car and had a proper cry before returning home. She didn't know what to do, the house was too quiet now. Putting on some music, she began to clean the house thoroughly.

She cleaned through lunch, and before she knew it, it was time to pick up Salome from school. She smiled brightly at getting to see her again after so long (well, it felt like a long time). Taking off the yellow rubber gloves, she left them in the kitchen sink. Grabbing her car keys and purse, she dashed to the car and drove to the school. Once arriving, she practically ran inside until a voice stopped her.

"Mummy!"

Turning to the left, she saw Salome running toward her. She knelt down with her arms outstretched, waiting to catch her. When she was close enough, they latched onto each other. Alex could feel the tears stinging her eyes again, but she held them back, not wanting to embarrass her daughter like she had that morning.

"I missed you so much! How was your first day?"

"Fine. My teacher is really nice. She gave my painting three gold stars!"

"That's wonderful! I'm sure it deserved every one of them."

"Mum, why do you smell like cleaning stuff?"

"I needed something to do while you were gone."

Alex stood up and the two began walking back to the car. Salome let her mom strap her into the car seat, and they ventured home. Looking at her daughter in the mirror, the two set of eyes met, Salome smiling at her mother. She returned the smile with the earlier swelling of love in her heart. The ride home was silent, not even the radio was on. Even when they entered the house, no one spoke. It was just one of those moments when no words were needed. 

That night, after Salome had gone to bed to start everything all over the next day, Alex hoped she could keep her emotions in check this time... but she highly doubted it.

xXx

_The feeling that I'm losing her forever_   
_And without really entering her world_   
_I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter_   
_That funny little girl_

"Why don't you want to go to the cinema?"

"Because you won't let me see the movie I want." Salome whined, stomping her foot on the floor.

"I don't want to sit through Twilight. It's not appropriate for a girl your age. You're only seven."

"Mum, all my friends at school have seen it! I'm not gonna have anything to talk about with them!" Salome began tearing up as she stomped to her room, slamming the door.

Alex sighed, sinking further back into the throw pillows of the sofa. She felt herself getting a bit weepy. When had Salome started acting this way? Two years ago, she was a perfect little angel. Her guess was when she started talking to those snobby girls at school. Alex hadn't liked those girls since she met them, but when she tried telling Salome to stay away from them, she replied with a stern 'Don't tell me what to do.'

Those weren't the type of girls she wanted her daughter socializing with. If girls like that were the only people Salome could be friends with, she'd prefer that she didn't have any friends. Her little girl was growing up too fast, and Alex was afraid of losing her. Salome was all she had now, and if she grew to hate her mother, Alex would have nothing. 

Whenever she'd throw a tantrum, which was quite often these days, Alex learned to just let her vent in her room. She'd be fine by suppertime. Just as Alex was about to get up and begin making it, her daughter emerged back from her room, tears streaming down her face. She climbed onto her mother's lap, and buried her face in her comforting curls.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry I got cross with you, mum." She sobbed. "We can go see any film you want, and I'll never talk to those girls again."

"What's brought this on?"

"I don't want to end up like them. They're horrible. They think they should get their way just because they are pretty and their parents are rich. I don't wanna be like that." Alex closed her eyes, a few tears slipping down her cheeks, as she cradled her daughter in her arms and inhaled her familiar scent. "We can go see whatever film you want."

"Why don't you choose."

"How about _Journey to the Center of the Earth_?" Salome asked as she twirled one of her mother's ringlets around her finger.

"Sounds good."

The film was surprisingly funny, and Alex was enjoying it, even more so when her and her daughter could share a laugh. She'd never get over the way her big brown eyes lit up whenever she smiled, especially with her two front teeth missing. Most kids would try to hide it, but she showed the gap proudly. Towards the middle of the film, Salome got sleepy and rested her head on her mother's shoulder, eventually falling asleep. Alex carried her out of the theatre, took her home, and put her to bed, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, my precious little girl." She whispered.

xXx

_Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table_   
_Barely awake, I let precious time go by_   
_Then, when she's gone, there's that odd melacholy feeling_   
_And a sense of guilt I can't deny_

"Salome, hurry up and come eat. Your father will be here any minute." Alex called to her.

She was in her room packing for her weekend with Florian. Alex wanted this morning with her because she couldn't stand being without her for two days. She couldn't even deal with two seconds. Salome always rolled her eyes when Alex said she'd miss her. She was getting to be that age where she didn't really care anymore, because it was 'only a weekend.'

Alex knew the divorce wasn't easy on her daughter. It was easy on her, either. She didn't like having to share her daughter, and part of her wished that they could have worked things out so she didn't have to be alone every other weekend. She didn't even want to go off to work anymore because that meant being away from her longer.   
Returning to the kitchen table, she was brought out of her thoughts by thumping footsteps coming down the stairs, and the thud of a suitcase being set down by the front door.

Salome appeared around the corner and entered the room, grabbing a piece of toast off the plate before pacing around the room.

"Won't you sit down with me?" Alex asked sweetly.

"Mum, it's only for the weekend. I'll be back on Sunday. You should be used to this by now, anyway." She muttered under her breath, but Alex still heard it.

"I shouldn't have to be used to it." She snapped back. "I know you think that just because you're thirteen now, doesn't mean you're old enough for me not to worry about you, but I do. I worry every day that something will happen to you at school, or on the way to or from school. Then I wonder if I gave you everything you deserve in life. I know I wasn't around much when you were a baby because I was working full time, but that didn't mean I didn't want to be with you. I was working to build toward your future."

"Yeah, I know. Nothing's going to happen to me. I'm old enough to start taking care of myself. Stop worrying so much, I promise I'll be alright. Dad takes good care of me as well."

"He better. And I hope he doesn't let you eat junk food."

"Not too much." Salome laughed when Alex rolled her eyes. "Mum, I'm kidding. I still eat well and go to bed at a decent time. Thanks to him, I'm passing Algebra, so there's that."

"Yes, I know, I'm hopeless with numbers." They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and the teenager hurried for the front door. "Don't think you're stepping a toe out of this house without giving me a hug and kiss."

"Ugh, mum!" Salome griped as she wrapped an arm loosely around her mother's neck. Alex pulled her down onto her lap, making her squeak with surprise and throwing her other arm around her as a reflex, making Alex smirk. "Ok, mum, I have to go now." She said as another knock sounded.

"Come back safely to me, alright?"

"I will, I promise."

Salome left her mother with a kiss on the cheek and leftover warmth from the hug as she exited the kitchen, grabbed her suitcase, and shut the front door behind her. Alex sighed as she finished her breakfast alone. 

xXx

_What happened to those wonderful adventures_   
_The places I had planned for us to go_   
_Well, some of that we did, but most we didn't_   
_And why, I just don't know_

"Mum, my French club is going to Paris, but I need at least $500. Can I go, pretty please? Dad said it's ok."

"When are they going?"

"At the end of the month. I'll be gone a week."

"I don't think so."

"But mum! I'm seventeen now, and I'll never be left alone anywhere. No one will steal me like in the film Taken. I've never been to Paris. Please, mum?" Salome begged, giving her mother her famous puppy dog eyes that she could never resist when she was little, but now no longer had the same effect.

"I just don't trust your chaparones. Who's all going?"

"Mackayla's mum, our teacher, of course. Um, some other parents and teachers."

"Are they still accepting volunteers?"

"Why? You're not thinking of going, are you?" Salome looked mortified.

"You're not going without me."

"I'm almost an adult! I should be able to travel without my parents!"

"Almost doesn't count."

"Don't you trust me? How am I supposed to experience life when you won't let me do anything?"

"Because I worry about you. No matter how grown up you get, I'll never stop worrying. You're not a mother, so you don't understand."

"I know when I do have kids, I won't be such an over-protective bitch." She huffed as she stomped away to her room.

"Salome Violetta!" Alex screamed after her, bolting from the couch. "Don't you walk away from me, young lady! Any chance you had about going, you just pissed away now!"

She was answered by a slamming door. Sighing, she returned to her spot on the sofa, hugged her knees to her chest, and began to cry. The tears streamed down her cheeks for a good five minutes until she was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. Grabbing it off the coffee table, she groaned when she saw Florian's name on the screen. Pulling herself together, she hesitantly answered.

"Hello." She said, her voice still thick with tears and a stuffy nose.

"I take it she asked you about Paris. What happened?"

"I said no unless I could be a chaperone, and it ended in a fight. She called me a bitch."

"You know she doesn't mean it."

"I wish you wouldn't have told her that she could go without even discussing it with me because now I look like the bad guy."

"Well, she just called me asking if I could come get her."

"Are you?"

"I told her no, that she shouldn't run away from her problems and apologize to you."

"I really appreciate that, Florian."

"Just assuring you that I'm not a complete asshole." He scoffed.

"I haven't said you were for awhile now." Alex smirked. "It's actually a new record."

"I'm glad. I do care about you, Lex, and she shouldn't talk to you that way."

"She's just growing up so fast. It feels like yesterday we were taking her home from the hospital as a newborn." She sniffled as a few more tears escaped her eyes.

"I know how you feel, but we just have to accept that she doesn't need us anymore."

"I suppose so."

"Stop crying, alright. Make a cup of tea and settle down, talk to her. Dont go to bed angry."

"I thought that was for married couples."

"We broke that rule a lot towards the end, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but it's alright. I don't regret anything with you."

"I'm sorry we didn't work out, but I'm glad we can still be friends, if only for our daughter's sake."

"Of course we're friends. I'm sure we would be with or without a child." She paused. "Thanks for this talk, it's helped a lot."

"What are ex-husbands for?"

"Other than being a pain in the arse sometimes?"

They shared a laugh. "I love ya, Alex. Have a good night."

"You too."

After they hung up, she did make that cup of tea. Settling back into the sofa cushions, she hummed as the warm liquid slid down her throat. The silence was interrupted by Salome's door opening and closing, and her soft footsteps coming down the stairs. She appeared around the corner with a guilty look on her face as she took a seat in one of the chairs.

"I'm sorry I called you a bitch. You know I didn't mean it. I was just so angry that you wouldn't let me go, but now I don't really care about the stupid trip. I mean, what if I get stuck in a hotel room with all the snobby girls?"

Alex chuckled. "Come over here, sweetie." She set her tea on the coffee table and reached out for her daughter's approaching form. When she was close enough, she pulled Salome into her lap.

"Don't you think I'm getting too big for this now?"

"Never. Darling, you should go. I have no right to stop you from living your life how you want. I know I worry too much, but I think I can survive a week without you. Just promise to call me often."

"I will, mum. What changed your mind?"

"Your father, actually. He made me realize that you are growing up and you don't need me anymore."

"I'll always need you." She replied, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

xXx

_Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture_   
_And save it from the funny tricks of time_

The day was finally here, the one Alex had been waiting for since Salome was a little girl: her wedding day. The day when she would begin a new life with the man she loved. Alex was with her to help her get ready. Her daughter looked so beautiful in her dress, and she couldn't stop the tears that filled her eyes as they looked at their reflections in the mirror.

"Dammit, mum, don't cry!" Salome ordered, trying to hold back the tears herself.

"It's not every day my only daughter gets married. I hope he treats you right."

"He does. I love him very much. He completes me, just like dad did for you."

"Did..." Alex mumbled under her breath. "You know, this reminds me of _Mamma Mia_ when Meryl Streep is helping Amanda Seyfried get ready for her wedding, except we don't live on a Greek island and you already know who your father is."

"Stop rambling." She giggled. "I can't believe this day is finally here. I know you and daddy didn't work out, but I think Michael and I will be very  happy together."

"You're father and I were happy once too. I'm not saying that to scare you, but just be careful. Love him and he'll love you back."

"I will, mum. Are we finished?"

"I suppose. I'll let you have a moment alone with your dad." Alex pressed a kiss to Salome's cheek before heading to the door.

"Mum?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."


End file.
